All Alone
by wianea03
Summary: Sam is left alone for a few days while Dean and John go on a hunt. What could go wrong? Pre-series, AU.
1. Chapter 1

My very first fanfic… Hope it's okay, let me know. All mistakes are mine.

This is pre-series and AU.

*Don't own nothing.

They left Sam alone in some no name town the summer after he turned 16. Sam was a little hurt that he was just being left behind, Dad said he was old enough but Sam pushed the thoughts of, _Dad doesn't trust me or I'm just a liability and they don't want me around to distract them, _out of his head in favor of actually being excited about being on his own for five full days. They put up every protection they could think of, left enough food and some extra cash and just as the sun was rising left.

Sam did nothing that first day. Slept in late, woke up to a hungry stomach, sat and watched day time TV while eating a huge bowl of cereal. He didn't bother getting dressed, knew he wasn't leaving the house that day. It was fun for awhile but he knew he would have to find something to do the next four days. Around dusk the phone rang, he wasn't surprised. Dean promised he'd call when they got to the motel, check in.

Sam answered with a casual, "Hello." Dean sounded excited, but Sam could sense the underlying hint of worry in his voice. He assured Sam that they would get the hunt done as soon as possible but Sam knew they wouldn't be coming back early. They were hunting a werewolf and the full moon wasn't for another two days. They needed that time to figure out who it was and then at least a day or two for the actual hunt. Dean tried covering up his concern about leaving Sam alone with sarcasm but Sam saw right through that. He didn't call him out on it though; even if he would never admit it to anybody it felt nice. They hung up minutes later, and Sam smiled to himself. The next few days would be a nice break before everything went back to normal.

The next few days flew by. Sam would wake up, late morning, far later then John would ever allow and eat breakfast. Then he would go for a run. Sam usually never complained about running, he was a natural at it. Maybe it was his long legs or the fact that when he ran his mind would just get lost and he didn't have to think about things. He would come back, take a nice long shower, without worrying about hot water and older brothers pounding on the door and make dinner. Dean would call around sunset, update Sam on the case and then Sam would turn on late night TV until his eyes couldn't stay open.

The day before they were to return Sam came back from his afternoon run feeling different. He couldn't put his finger on it. It was a nagging in the back of his head that something wasn't right. He tried to push the thought out of his head. Dean had called saying they had finished the hunt the night before, salted and burned the body but were just wrapping up, making sure nobody else was infected. Dad and Dean were out of danger so why did he feel this way? In the shower he tried to clear his mind, everything was fine. Dean would call tonight, telling Sam that tomorrow they were going to hit the road as soon as possible and then make some lame joke about how the house better still be standing.

Sam chuckled to himself as he made dinner and sat on the couch. It was silly to think his Dad and Dean were in trouble. They were fine. He ate his dinner in silence, every once in awhile his eyes would travel over to the phone waiting for it to ring. Sunset came and went and still, no phone call. Sam turned the TV on, not really paying attention but needing something to distract himself. His leg tapped restlessly as he chewed his bottom lip. He told himself it would ring, they were fine. After three hours had passed and still no phone call he gave up, calling the number Dean had given him the first night.

He waited as the ringing sounded on the other end and after almost two minutes he hung up. That was okay, they were out celebrating, that's all. Dean would call when he got back, apologize and that would be that. Sam sat in the dark house, the glow from the TV the only light. He wouldn't go to sleep until he got a call from them. It wasn't until the growing light from the sun coming up over the horizon started peaking through the curtains that Sam finally accepted the fact that they weren't going to call.

_**I know this is short, and not very exciting yet (it's just getting started) but seeing as it is my first I wanted to get it out there to see if people might be interested. I have the whole story written, just in my head for now. I don't expect it to be very long, just a couple of chapters. Maybe more if I do John's and Dean's view points. **_

_**Thanks for reading!**_


	2. Chapter 2

Dean wasn't thrilled about leaving his brother alone. Of course he worried about the kid, but he did know that Sam knew how to take care of himself and he had put up the protection symbols himself, so it did make him feel a little better about the whole thing. Besides that and he would never tell Sam this, he had looked into the house and the town to make sure nothing even remotely supernatural had occurred within the last 200 years.

He tried not to think too hard about his baby brother, who he swore to protect, being left behind, but being alone in a car for five hours he had a lot of time to think. He wanted to question his dad as to why he chose to leave Sam behind. He didn't want to think it was because Dad thought Sam was a liability and that he couldn't handle the hunt. He wanted it to be that Dad knew two guys were enough and that Sam was just better off by himself. He'd like to think that Dad trusted Sam enough and knew that sometimes he just needed a break. He knew Sam needed time off, hell, they all did, lately him and John had been butting heads over everything and Dean was stuck in the middle. He just hoped this hunt would give his dad and brother enough patience to last awhile before they started fighting again.

John glanced in the rearview and saw Dean following closely behind. It might be seem silly to be taking two vehicles but he knew ever since he gave the car to Dean, he didn't want to leave it too far behind. John knew he had left it in good hands when that first weekend it was his he spent the whole Saturday waxing and cleaning out the interior. John liked his truck and it was nice and quiet, what he was used to because Sam always rode with Dean anyway.

John knew that Dean was curious about why he left Sam behind and unlike Sam he wouldn't ask. Dean would know soon enough. Another hunter had contacted him about this hunt and since John wasn't on anything at the moment he said yes. He got all the info and knew he wasn't taking Sam. All the victims so far were young males in their teens, tall with brown hair. Dean would understand as soon as John showed him what he knew. It was a small price to pay to let his baby boy think he wasn't wanted if it meant he was safe, because he knew that's what Sam thought. And despite all the arguments they had and all the silent treatments Sam gave him, John loved him, just as much as Dean. He also thought Sam was perfectly capable of being left alone, which was why he took Dean along and not asked him to stay home.

Dean had called Sam that first night hoping he didn't sound too much like a worried, paranoid older brother. If Sam heard through it he didn't comment and Dean was relieved. He missed Sam, especially after hanging up and he was alone with John. The silence wasn't uncomfortable, but he wasn't used to it. He couldn't joke around with his Dad like he could with Sam, couldn't dump the research on him either.

The werewolf was easy enough to identify. They looked into the victims and found out the first one had been on a camping trip a month before he died, on a full moon. He was with a group of friends and only him and his girlfriend had survived, what the cops called an animal attack. They both sustained cuts, had to go the hospital and get stitches. Everyone said they were lucky and life moved on. A few weeks later his girlfriend walked in on him with another girl. A week later, on the full moon, he was dead, attacked as he was leaving work.

Dean didn't think werewolves had victim types but John said that this guy was connected to her and now, even in her wolf form she saw every guy that looked like him, as an enemy. Dean shrugged, it made sense and to him it just made finding the wolf that much easier. They still had to be sure though and so had to wait a day until the full moon before they could follow her and see the change themselves before killing it. Dean was glad that Sam wasn't here and not just because of the victim types. The wolf was a 17 year old girl and just looking at her, she looked harmless.

The actual hunt was easy enough too. They followed the girl home and waited. Right after the full moon rose they saw her climb out her window. It was easy enough to spot the changes, the eyes and the sharp fangs. They moved in fast, coming up behind her, one on each side. It was like a well rehearsed dance, one Dean and John had down packed. John was the one to make the fatal shot and Dean felt a sense of satisfaction. The hunt was over, the monster dead and they had saved lives. They took care of the body and they went out to celebrate.

John decided to stay one more day, just to be on the safe side. Dean had no objections, although he was eager to get back to his younger sibling. He called Sam, telling him that the hunt went well and they were going to stay one more night. Sam just laughed and said he understood, he was glad the hunt went well and that they were safe. Sam sounded more relaxed already and Dean knew Sam had been just as worried about them as he was of Sam.

Looking back Dean regrets a lot about that last phone call. He wished he would have told Sam the real reason they left him behind, they were just trying to protect him. He wished he would have made John talk to his son before they left, telling him how he really felt, it would have been easier over the phone anyway. He wished he would have told Sam how he felt, that even though he could be a pain in the ass little brother he still loved him. Instead the last words spoken to his brother, in what would turn out to be a very long time, were ones of sarcasm and teasing. They hung up with their usual goodbyes of 'bitch' and 'jerk' and Dean knowing he would see his brother in just one more day. If only he knew how wrong he was.

_**Thanks everyone who is following my story and twohisglory2002 for the review. I hope to get one more chapter out tomorrow before I leave for the weekend, otherwise I won't be able to update until Monday.**_

_**Thanks for reading!**_


	3. Chapter 3

Sam, for a better word, was freaking out. After staying up all night waiting for a call that never came he tried calling his family again. He let the phone ring as long as he could before hanging up. Even in an alcohol induced sleep they would have heard the phone ring. Something was wrong, he knew it. Rationally he tried to reason with himself. They could still call; it was possible that they had forgotten. But Sam shook his head at this, Dean would never forget, his dad maybe, but never Dean. Maybe they had decided on not staying the extra night, just coming home instead of finishing up the last details of making sure no one else had changed. But if that was the case they would have been home already and Sam wouldn't have waited up all night for them.

Every time Sam thought of a positive reason in his head why they hadn't called it was always followed with something negative. He needed to do something instead of just sitting here. He got up and then stopped. What would he do? He couldn't just go calling every hunter they knew because if Dean had just forgotten and they were on their way then tonight they'd be home and Sam's worrying had all been for nothing. He would look pretty silly too once Dean found out. The teasing would be endless.

He couldn't leave either. For the same reason as calling every hunter he knew and because he didn't have a car. Even if he did have a car or rode a bus to the town they were at and it turned out they were on their way, then he would be in big trouble with his dad for leaving. So there was nothing really to do but wait and hope that a phone call would be coming. He could imagine Dean on the phone, feeling guilty for missing the callbut joking how Sam had missed them so much he was worried. Sam, of course would laugh and say he didn't even realize they were gone. But they would both know that the other was lying.

He figured he'd wait until after they were supposed to be home and then start calling Dad's contacts. They could always go check on them, or maybe they knew what was going on. Now he just had half a day to waste. He should try to get some sleep, since he stayed up all night, but he wasn't very tired. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was seriously wrong and there was nothing he was doing about it. But rationally he knew it was far too soon to be jumping off the handle and start going crazy trying to figure out what happened to them.

He turned the TV on and tried to watch whatever was on but his mind started getting distracted. He needed to do something; even it was just some mindless activity. He looked around and saw the yard littered with leaves. He got up and switched off the TV. Raking was better than nothing. He'd open the window; make sure he could hear the phone if it went off and hopefully they would just pull up while he was outside anyway.

He put his tennis shoes on and then opened the windows in the living room. He hoped there was a rake in the tiny shed out back and went to go outside. He made it to the back door, opened it and stopped short as he tried to leave the doorway. It was like an invisible barrier had been placed in the door and he couldn't leave. He tried again, more slowly this time, but the same thing. He ran to the front door and after opening it found he couldn't step outside either. He went to the open windows and tried to climb through, but again, nothing. It was like an invisible wall had been put there. Panting and trying to wrap his brain around this, Sam stood in the middle of the living room. He was trapped inside, he couldn't leave.

Dean was ready to go home. Like every night since they had left he called his brother around the same time their last night out. He waited as the ringing of the phone kept going on the other end, tapping his fingers on his knees. It wasn't like Sam not to answer. He saw his father give him a questioning look and Dean shrugged his shoulders. He hung up and said, "He's not answering."

John didn't look too worried as he went back to cleaning his gun, "Maybe he's in the shower. Come on, we need to get going." John and Dean had decided to drive around town, listening to the police scanner John had picked up and hope no other wolves were running around. Dean nodded slowly, Sam was fine. He could take care of himself and he was smart enough not to do anything stupid. He'd give him hell for it later, after he got home. Tonight he needed to concentrate on the hunt and then they were leaving tomorrow. He'd see Sam then.

They drove around all night but saw nothing. Finally as the sun started peaking over the horizon they drove back to the motel room. They were both exhausted and decided to sleep for a few hours before heading back. They didn't even bother changing, just sank down on the beds and fell asleep.

They were awoken two hours later by the ringing of the phone. John grumbled as he rolled over, he knew Dean wasn't going to get it. He opened bleary eyes as he brought the phone to his ear, "Hello?" Dean heard the phone but turned his head away from the annoying sound, his dad would answer. He heard the person on the other end talking but couldn't make out words. He turned around though when he heard his dad sit up fast and then scrambled up as he saw the look on his dad's face.

His dad's face had gone pale white and his eyes wide. He mumbled a, "Yea, we'll be there as soon as we can," then hung up. Dean's heart had stopped for a moment and he waited for his dad to speak. John didn't look at Dean as he swallowed hard and whispered, "It's Sam."

**_Thanks for reading!_**


	4. Chapter 4

Sam had tried every possible exit with the same results. It was like an invisible barrier had been placed over each one. It had to be supernatural so he tried different things, throwing salt out the doors, holy water he even took something iron and tossed it through. It didn't matter, whatever it was wasn't affected by any of that stuff.

He sat down on the couch, hanging his head low. Figured he'd be the one to get stuck in a cursed house. Sam didn't have many options as to what was going on; he figured cursed was his best bet. He knew they had checked the whole house for spirit activity and came up empty handed. He knew Dean would have made sure the house was safe before leaving him alone in it. So unless one decided to just move in while he was here then it had to be something other than a ghost. He couldn't figure out why it waited until now. He'd been here alone for days and he had been able to leave.

He wanted, just as much as he needed, his dad and Dean here. Sam wasn't even sure they were coming home or not, seeing as how he didn't get a call. He paused in thought for a minute, wondering if maybe they couldn't get through. Maybe whatever was preventing him from leaving also prevented anyone from calling. He picked up the phone and brought it to his ear, there was no dial tone at all. Sam knew there was one yesterday; he had tried to call out.

He hoped that his dad and Dean were on their way. They would know what to do, they would figure something out. He looked at the clock and saw that it was close to noon. They should be home in a couple of hours, and then everything would be okay again. They had a few books so Sam decided he might as well see if he could get anything from them. He knew it was a long shot, usually they did their research at the library; it wasn't really practical to carry around lots of books when you move all the time. But seeing as how he couldn't leave, he didn't have many choices, and at least he was doing something.

He read through the three books they had and nothing. There was no mention of anything like this at all. He rubbed at his eyes, the words had started running together and by the last book he could hardly concentrate at all, going on no sleep and his adrenaline was wearing down. He lay back on the couch and closed his eyes. He'd heard the impala and the truck, either that or his family coming in. His dad would probably be mad as hell if he had tried to call and didn't get an answer, but he'd get over it once he realized his son couldn't leave the house. It didn't occur to him until he was just drifting off to sleep, that if he couldn't leave, could his family even come in?

Sam woke hours later. The sun was low in the sky, the first stars just making their appearances. His family still wasn't back again and the house seemed even quieter than normal. He sat up and blinked the sleep from his eyes, trying to clear his head. He got up and looked around. Something felt off. It wasn't just the fact that he still couldn't leave, he checked, or that his family was still gone and not back, it was something that was just out of reach. Like he had missed something just before he woke up and now he couldn't grab a hold of it.

Sam shook his head and laughed at himself, he was going crazy now. Of course something felt off. He was stuck in a house and his family was missing, who knows if they were even okay or not. If they never came back for whatever reason who knows if he'd ever leave. He could be stuck here forever, without anyone even knowing about it. The house they were staying at was about half a mile from town and hidden from the road. John had paid for two months, so no one would think to come around for at least another five weeks. Even that was a stretch; it wasn't like this house was prime real estate or anything.

Sam had nothing to do but hope his family was okay and that they had just gotten delayed somewhere. Whatever was happening they would figure it out. Until then Sam could do nothing but wait. His worry kicked up a notch when he noticed the bare cupboards and half empty fridge. He put off on eating; he wasn't hungry now anyways, despite it being almost a day since his last meal. Just the thought of eating right now made his stomach turn.

The next few days felt like weeks to Sam. He hardly slept and barely ate. He lost track of time and spent what he could trying to get out. He had limited resources but did what he could. He kept trying the salt and holy water, even when he knew they wouldn't work. Some days he would get so mad he'd pick up a lamp or a book and throw it across the room, screaming in anger. Other days his emotions got the best of him and he'd sink in a corner, ignoring the tears falling down his face. All his thoughts were focused on getting out, no matter what.

When he started hearing the voices he wasn't surprised. Lack of sleep was bound to make him hear things, even see things. Occasionally he would catch a glimpse of something out of the corner of his eye but when he turned his head, there was nothing there. Sometimes, if he concentrated hard enough he could actually make out the words the voices were saying and what he heard only raised his confusion. It was just everyday conversation, mundane things like the laundry or when to go grocery shopping. He would get so frustrated at them, maybe because they were having a perfectly normal life and he wasn't that he'd start yelling at them to shut up and start throwing things again until it was quiet again.

He tried not to think of his family, or where they were, what happened to them. But he couldn't help himself most of the time. He missed them like crazy and as time went on, he could only think the worst. They were dead and he was here, stuck in a house that wouldn't let him leave.

The sound of two engines didn't register with Sam right away. He had imagined that sound so many times that he almost didn't believe they were real. It wasn't until he heard the slamming doors and footsteps' coming up the steps that he realized this was real. He heard the front door open and two sets of boots coming inside. He stepped out of the bedroom and for the first time in how long, saw his family.

His family stopped short after seeing Sam. Sam paused too, his family looked, different. They seemed older and more weary, their eyes held sadness that hadn't been there before. He wasn't quite sure what to say but watched as Dean took half a step forward, whispering, "Sammy." Sam narrowed his eyes, his hands clenching in fists, "It's Sam. Where the hell have you been? I've been stuck in this house for… for…" he honestly had no clue how long he had been here, but it didn't matter. "I waited for you and nothing. You didn't call that night or the next and I had no way of contacting you. I had no idea if you were alive or dead or what happened. I tried leaving and I couldn't, I've been stuck here doing nothing and I'm seeing things and hearing things and waiting for you to come back." By the end he was shouting and he didn't care. He paused to take a breath, opening his mouth to start again when he stopped short.

His family was crying. Dean was standing there, an expression of anguish on his face and silent tears running down his face. His dad wore a neutral expression but Sam could see the wetness in his eyes. He looked between them, begging silently for answers. Dean opened his mouth, closing it a few times before shaking his head. John cleared his throat before trying to speak, "Sam, something happened when we were gone. We thought we had—" his voice cut off roughly and he cleared his throat again before speaking. "We didn't know you wouldn't move on. Sam, you're- you're dead."

_***Ok, um… sorry. Please forgive me. I didn't want to put warnings up because I didn't want to ruin it.**_

_**I have one more chapter left!**_

_**Thanks for Reading!**_


	5. Chapter 5

Sam looked between the two, shaking his head. No, this wasn't real. For some sick reason his family was telling him this and he had no idea why. "No, that's- I think I would know if I was dead or not. Why are you telling me this?" Sam said, his voice even despite the confusion and emotions running through him now that his family was finally here. Dean made a pained noise in the back of his throat and his tears fell harder.

John was the one to speak again as he stepped closer, "Sam, we're so sorry." His eyes were shiny with unshed tears and Sam was baffled. His father never cried. "What's going on?" he whispered, looking between the two again. Dean seemed to have lost the ability to speak so John continued, "The day before we came back, something happened Sam. You were out running and you were turning a corner. The car, it never had time to stop. They called an ambulance but you never made it to the hospital."

Sam heard the words but he couldn't believe them. "No, I came home that day and waited for you to call, but you never did. So I tried calling you and there was no answer. I didn't know what had happened to you." Dean spoke up, "Sammy, nothing happened to us." He wanted Sam to understand, he needed Sam to understand. This was hard enough to come back here and face Sam, but for Sam to not even know what had happened, that was too much.

_Six Years Ago_

_Dean was grateful that they had taken two cars. He didn't know if he could have handled his dad riding beside him on this ride. The doctor on the phone hadn't told Dad any details, just said that something had happened to Sam and that he needed to come to the hospital as soon as he could. They had packed in record time and were on the road not ten minutes later. _

_Dean tried not to think the worst, it could be anything. Whatever had happened Sam would be fine. And then, Dean was never leaving him alone again. He pushed the pedal down even farther, inches away from his dad. They were breaking every law there was but Dean would love to see a cop try to stop him now. The drive usually took five hours but they were pulling into the hospital parking lot 3 hours and 55 minutes later. _

_John gave him name to the nurse at the front desk and minutes later they were being ushered into a non-descript office with a grim faced doctor. Dean stopped listening after Sam and car and DOA. He remembers screaming at the doctor and John putting an iron grip across his chest, pulling him back. He fought against it wanting to strangle the doctor who was lying to him about Sam. It was his dad's whispers in his ear that finally broke through. Dean collapsed against him, his face wet and his hands trembling. _

_The next few days were a blur to both John and Dean. John knew that he had to hold it together; otherwise he would lose two sons. He snuck in late and took Sam's body. He drove with Dean following right behind across three state lines before stopping. They burned Sam's body in a field down a dirt road, miles from anybody. They didn't talk as they watched the flames die out and when the night was dark again they moved on._

Sam couldn't think, was his family telling him the truth? They had no reason to lie to him; in fact, he knew they wouldn't do that to him, especially about something like this. Why couldn't he remember though? "I don't- I waited for you, this whole time," Sam said in a small voice. John nodded, "We know you did Sam, but we're here now. Look around Sam, really look." Sam frowned slightly before he looked around him. It took only a second before things started to change. The house he remembered, the house they had moved into was gone. In its place was furniture, nice furniture, pictures hanging on the walls and rugs on the floor. It looked nicer, like it had been remodeled at some point. He thought back to that day and like a switch he started remembering.

_Six Years Ago_

_Sam ran past the trees and came across the dirt road he had been running into since the beginning. He took the same route every time, deciding to stick to what he knew. His feet pounded the dirt as he took the sharp curve that would take him the last stretch before he made it back. The car seemed to come out of nowhere, he hadn't even heard the engine. He didn't feel pain, was too shocked to feel anything. He remembers faces above him, a soft voice saying something to him but he couldn't hear anything. He just wanted to sleep, close his eyes and pray this was a dream. His last thought was of his brother, hoping he was okay. _

Things started making sense now, the feelings of something being wrong, the voices, the fleeting images. There wasn't a ghost, he was the ghost. He understood a lot now, but there were still some things he didn't understand. "How long?" John seemed to know what he was asking, "Six years." Sam blinked and said, more to himself, "It didn't feel that long." He waited a moment before asking, "Why am I still here then?" Dean shrugged, "We don't know for sure Sammy. We-" his voice choked and Sam knew what he was trying to say. They had burned his bones, so he shouldn't be here. Unless there was some unfinished business he had.

"I was waiting for you. That's why I'm still here, I was waiting for you to come home," Sam said. That's what he had been doing when he died, just waiting for his family to come home, safe from their hunt. He couldn't move on until they were home. John smiled sadly at his son, "We're home now Sammy."

Sam looked at his Dad, his eyes still shining with unshed tears and then he looked at Dean. Dean's tears were flowing freely, his eyes held pain that Sam never wanted to see ever again. "It's okay, I'm ready," he tried to sound convincing but in reality he was scared as hell. He took one last look at his dad, who gave him one last smile and Dean, who whispered softly but still Sam heard him, "Bye Sammy, see you soon." Sam closed his eyes and let go.

THE END

_**I want to give a special thanks to everyone who has followed this story and for those who reviewed, I loved hearing from you, thank you so much for reading and sticking with it. **_

_**The ending was the hardest to write, so I hope I did okay. **_

_**I kind of got this idea from the second season episode, Roadkill, so if you've seen it that's where I got why Sam didn't know he was dead and he only saw what he wanted to see. **_

_**Once again, Thanks for reading! **_


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